Promise of Blood and Steel
by Blue Harbinger
Summary: A promise is made. A long journey awaits this boy as he quests for strength and becomes a man. When a beautiful stranger requests his aid in destroying an ancient evil, the warrior senses he will gain ultimate strength if he lends his blade to her cause. His name is Mitsurugi. Remember it! Updated! Chapter 6 is up! Whoooo!
1. Prologue: A promise Made

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Blade, Soul Edge or Soul Caliber.

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Prologue: A Promise Made

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It was rainning again. It had been rainning nonstop for three days. Amidst the darkness of the cold wet night, stood a lone hut at the edge of a heavily forested area. Though humble, this small hut served it's inteneded purpose of keeping it's occupants dry and out of the rain.  
Inside the small hovel, a young boy with short dark hair stared intently into the vast wet blackness of the dreary night.

"_Heishiro._.." came a soft feminine voice from behind him.

The boy looked worriedly over his shoulder in the direction of the voice. His heart shrank at the sight of a long haired, sickly young woman as she hacked and coughed into the sleeves of her rather worn kimono.

"**Mother**!" he cried out, rushing to the woman's side.

The woman's coughing worsened as the boy lowered her head gently to a pile of cloth and leaves.

_"Heishiro..."_ the woman said weakly as her eyes suddenly became too heavy a burden.

The boy looked intently into his mothers' eyes, the tears beginning to well.

_"...Forgive me...for leaving you alone..."_ she struggled to say, wiping away her sons tears as they trailed down his cheek.

**"N...No, mother! Don't leave me! Please!**" cried the boy, his tears in steady streams now.

".._.Heishiro...my son...please don't cry_..." the woman said with a frail smile.

..**.But.**..!" the woman weakly pressed a finger to the boys lips, effectively silencing him.

_"You...You must...be strong now..."_ she struggled to speak as the boy grasped her frail hand.

_"Be strong...for me..._"said the once vibrant woman as the heaving of her breast slowed. Her white hand sliding slowly from her only childs' hand.

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The following morning...

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The rain had finally stopped. The air was chilled as the the sun rose silently over the hut. The boy sat in silence next to his mother's cold lifless body. Heishiro slowly opened his eyes as the first glimpse of the suns light crept slowly into his home.

"Be strong..." the boy repeated his mother's final words to himself.

Struggling to his feet, young Heishiro wiped his eyes one last time and took one final look at his mother.

"I...I will be strong, mother." he proclaimed, his fist had tightened into fist. Blood trickled down his fingers.

Within minutes, all of the boys few belongings were tossed into a cloth sack and hoisted over his shoulder. Surveying his humble dwellings one last time to see if he'd forgotten anything, the boy's eyes were drawn to something long, covered in a brown cloth equal in length and tied with red twine. This long slim object was his mother's second most prized posession, the first being himself. Heishiro rushed over to the object and uncovered it. His eyes widened as he saw the intricate gold and dark blue patterns on what appeared to be the handle of a kitana. Though he had known known much about his father, Heishiro's mother once said that this would someday belong to him. That time had come and the thought made him frown. Moments later, the hut that was the boys home was engulfed by flames. Heishiro watched as the fire danced and destroyed the only home he had ever known.

"I'll be stronger than** anyone!**" he proclaimed once again as he raised his fist into the sky.


	2. The Devil Of Bizan

Disclaimer: Soul Blade, Soul Edge and Soul Caliber and all things associated with it is property of Namco/Bandai. I don't own squat.

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Chapter One: The Devil of Bizan

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The Village of Fu-Ma no Sato...

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The sun had risen slowly into a clear blue sky that stretched past the mountains surrounding the small humble village. Children could be heard playing and seen running after one another in a game of tag. To a person who knew nothing of the world, the village seemed a peacefull place filled with peasants living in weathered wooden huts with straw roofs surrounded by mountains and forests. To the the young man entering the village, this unassuming hovel was just as dangerous as the most demon filled forest. Especially if you entered without invitation. Luckily, the denizons of Fu-Ma no Sato knew who he was and of his plight.

As he entered the village, he felt a thousand pairs of eyes on him instantly. The children stopped playing and laughing. To the young man, the world itself held it's breath while waiting for the people of the village to respond to his presence.

"Whatever you do..."came a feminine but strong voice from behind him.

**"Gaaah!"** yelped the startled man, looking over his shoulder to find the source of the voice.

"...Don't linger for too long in one spot. It makes you look suspicious." said a girl as she walked in front of the man, her arms folded.

The young mans' eyes widened as he took in the visage of the girl. She was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.  
Her long raven tresses were tied back into a ponytail and held in place by a red ribbon tied in a bow.

"_Taaaaaaaaki!_" came a small voice from behind the pair.

Taki followed the voice back to it's origin and waved. A small girl with blonde hair who couldn't have been younger than five years of age ran over to the pair and stood defiantly in front of the older girl.

"Do you know him, Taki?" said the little girl with her arms spread in front of a disinterested Taki.

"Natsu? Aren't you supposed to be training?" the older girl questioned, kneeling behind the protective little girl.

_"Uh...well...Yes, but..."_ Natsu stammered.

"I'll be fine, Natsu. This man has buisness with the Elder, right?" said Taki to the young man, who noticed he had not spoken or taken his eyes off of her for quite some time.

"Y...Yes! Please, could you take me to him?" inquired the young peasant.

Taki hugged Natsu and gently pushed her back into the direction from wence she came.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you even notice I'm gone." the older girl re-assured with a smile.

Natsu smiled back and disappeared into the air as only one with her "training" could.

"E...Even the children...?" the man yelped as Taki led him toward the chambers of the village Elder.

The inside of the Elder's chambers was dark and ominous. The only light was that of a singular candle amdist the vast and seemingly endless darkness.

"I know of your plight, young man..." came a disconjolted voice from out of the darkness.

After a few moments of silence, an elderly man wearing black hakama stepped out of the blackness as if he was once a part of it.

"Master Toki." Taki confirmed, taking to one knee as a show of respect.

"Master." repeated the young man who bowed respectfully.

The old man nodded his approval and walked over to a table at the center of the dimly lit hut.

"Come, young one. Sit." the Elder motioned toward the mat like custions in front of the bare short legged table.

The young man wasted no time as he moved swiftly to his designated seat and sat, legs crossed indian style, across from the Fu-Ma clan Elder. Toki watched the younger man as he nervously shifted and wiped sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his yukata.

"Do not be nervous, young one." said Toki with next to no emotion.

"Had we wanted you dead, you'd have been killed before you even thought of entering the village."

"W...What do you mean, Master Toki?" inquired the nervous peasant boy, sweat continued to streak down the sides pf his face.

"I mean, Taki has been watching you and your village for quite some time." the old man stated coldly.

"How else would we know of your demon?"

"Y...You knew? Before I came here?" the young man raised his voice in anger.

"Calm down, boy. No need to be disrespectfull." reasoned Toki, his tone uncaring to the boy's feelings.

"As I said, we knew but could not be sure it was an actual demon...until recently."

"Those solders who disappeared in the forest?" the young man confirmed.

"Precisely. We will send our greatest hunter to rid your forest of that demon."

The young man jumped to his feet "Master Toki! Thank you, master! Thank you!" he bowed.

"There is still the matter of payment, young man." the Elder interupted.

"_Payment_? But we are a poor small village! All we have is our rice!" exclaimed the peasant.

"Master?" Taki chimed in, her head slightly tilted to one side with her arms folded.

The old man sat in silence as Taki peered at him with hidden disgust. She had always believed it was the duty of the Fu-Ma clan to rid the world of devils, so why would they do such a thing for profit? Though the village looked to be in disrepair, the clan was quite wealthy. They didn't need to profit from thier duty!

"Very well..."Toki started, finally breaking the silence.

"Taki! You know what must be done! You have 3 days..." the old man commanded as he easily got back to his feet and began to walk toward the shadows.

"Thank you, master." the young man said again, this time with less enthusiasm.

The old man stopped and looked back over his sholder "Do not thank me, young man..."

The young peasant watched as the Fu-Ma clan's leader was swallowed up by the shadows once again.

"Thank Taki..."

The peasant turned to the beautifull girl to thank her but lost his voice at her sudden change of attire. Taki's grundgy kimono was replaced by a skin tight royal blue body suit adorned with steel shoulder pads molded with the face of a demon. It wasn't just her attire that changed. Her whole demeanor underwent a drastic change as well. Her eyes, which held kindness and humanity, now shown with murderous intent and a steely determination. For now, she steeled herself for what was to come.

"_Take me to your demon..._" the girl said, coldly.

And with that, the demon huntress and the young man set out for the peasent village on the outskirts of Bizan.

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Meanwhile, In the Forest near the young peasant's village...

Though the village had few warriors, the village elder thought it best to purge the demon from their lands without outside interference. Believing the deities of the village religion to be more than a match for the evil spirits of the forests, the vain old elder set out with an entourage of the strongest men in the humble little village to put an end to the Devil of Bizan.

"Elder, we've been out here for two days and still no sign of this devil!" a tall muscular man with dark hair complained.

"Sosuke...do you want that..**Thing**...to ravage your wife and daughter?"the elder shot back with malice.

"We must purge the creature from this place before it kills us all, brother."a younger man interupted as he stepped between the arguing pair.

Even though Sosuke was next in line to be village elder, the current elder believed him to be a fool. The young muscle headed fool, as the elder refers to him, did not believe in the old deities nor of the old ways. Sosuke was more interested in guiding the village into the future and profitble gains than preserving the old such a fool was born into the elder's family is still unknown to him. The pair continued to argue as the rest of the warriors watched in amusement. However, only the youngest of the entourage noticed they were being watched.

"Why? Why did such a fool have to be born to my daughter?" the elder shouted, his words meaning to be sharp as a blade.

"Why did you have to be such an old fool, clinging to your old ways?" Sosuke shot back.

Just as the two men were about to resort to violence, the wind howled and screams were head. Blood splattered on the the bickering pair.

"It's ...the...the **Demon!**" shrieked one man, terrorified beyond all reason.

All of the men followed their comrades line of sight and beheld what had him so frightened. And there, in all it's horrible glory, was the Devil of Bizan! The creature was no bigger than Sosuke but the aura it resonated was that of something not of this world. It had many demonic faces which twisted with terror. Sosuke assumed it killed not only humans, but other demons as well. Before anyone had time to fully acess the situation, the beast lurched forward with ungodly speed. Blood splirted out of anyone it went near as bodies crumple lifelessly to the cold groud. The way the creature slayed these men was unfathomable! It appeared to have no arms or weapons so how was it doing all of this? How was this thing dispatching the strongest warriors the village had to offer with little to no effort?

After felling another of the group of warriors, it turned it's black dead eyes to the village elder and his grandson. Though Sosuke was as vain as the village elder, he was truly the greatest swordsman in his tiny little village. Drawing his blade and taking his battle stance, the foolish young warrior beckoned to the demon. The creature seemed amused by this and studied carefully Sosuke's stance.

"Come, demon!" Sosuke called before lunging forward with the tip of his blade aimed at the creature's heart.

The pridefull warrior closed the distance between himself and the creature in mere seconds. Sosuke thrusted his blade into the monsters heart or so he thought. The tip had stopped just inches away from it's chest. Upon closer inspection, Sosuke's eyes widened with disbelief when he saw why his blade did not pierce the demon's heart. The monster, all of a sudden, grew arms. The biggest insult to the warrior's pride was not the fact that the arms were finely chisled human arms, but the fact that his blade was stopped with bare hands. Sosuke, with all his might, tried to withdraw his blade from the demon's grasp but could not, despite his best efforts.

"L...Let go...Demon!"the young warrior was beside himself as fear began to grip his heart.

"_Weakling_..."the demon finally spoke before breaking the tip of Sosuke's blade and plunging it into it's owner's chest.

"Ngh? You...!..." screamed the vain swordsman as blood gushed from his open wound and mouth.

After watching Sosuke die slowly, the demon turned his attention to the village elder, who cowared behind his youngest grandson. It would have appeared that this greatly angered the demon as he began to make his way slowly toward the remaining members of the entourage. Suddenly, as if beckoned by some unforseen force, the Devil of Bizan stopped dead in it's tracks. It's gaze burned through the terrorified men and to the newcomer behind them. The creature could tell imediately that the interloper was female due to her rather curvy body and large breast. She stood defiantly, arms folded, eyes burning with malice as the wind began to howl again. Both the woman and the demon stood unmoving for what felt like forever. Until the wind became still. Just then, both the demon and the newcomer disappeared into thin air.

**Clang! Clang! Clink! Clang!** The sound of swordplay rang out loud and clear all around the terrorified lookers-on!** Clang! Clink! Clang!** The the demon and the woman continued on fiercely as they appeared and disapeared before the gawkers eyes. Clang! The blades of the two warriors deadlocked.

"So, that's how he did it? The demon had a sword!" the old man remarked, looking on in awe.

"B, but how? No one saw him draw it!** Not once!**" the younger man added.

Taki stared deep into the black eyes of the demon. She searched for any hint of weakness or fatigue or anything! The young huntress had never encountered a demon as skilled as this before and she began to doubt if she could defeat it. Finally breaking the deadlock, the demon sent several silver arcs at his new opponent with lightning speed.

_"Faster than I expected..."_ Taki thought to herself as she dodged and blocked the demon's attacks.

Just what kind of devil was this? The young huntress had faced and slain many demons in her time but never has she faced a demon as strong or as skilled as the one she now faced. Clang! Another exchange from the warriors as their battle moved further into the deep dark forests. Taki sent a flurry of slashes at the demon far too quick for it to block. It's flesh tore as the huntress continued to rain steel upon the creature.

_"Strange...I tear it's flesh, yet it does not make a sound_?" Taki muttered to herself as she spun gracefully into the air and extending her leg, sending it crashing into what appered to be the demon's main face.

The force of the kick sent the creature flying into, and through, a thick tree and crashing into a nearby river. Taki lept over to the where the demon landed and was suprised by what she saw. Her eyes grew wide with disbelief as the demons many faces were thrown to the side. The Devil of Bizan was no devil at all! Taki could barely believe her eyes as the face of a young man stared back at her. There he stood, unmoving, unafraid, sword in hand. His hair was long and dark. His bangs only revealed one of his dark deep eyes, which stares intensely at the demon huntress.

"So, the Devil of Bizan is nothing more than a boy draped in demon hides?" Taki muttered to herself as she returned one of her two blades to it's sheathe.

"Why do you lower your guard?" the young man spoke finally, his voice sounding amused.

"Hm?"

"Our battle is not over, woman. Prepare yourself!" said the young man with long hair as he entered his battle stance, his sword in front of him.

"W, what? But, you are no demon.** I have no quarrel with you!**" replied the young huntress, her hand moving quickly to her blade.

The two warriors began to stare each other down as the wind began to blow again. Taki's eyes wondered over the mysterious man's body. He had many scars and was well built for one so young. Upon closer inspection, Taki discerned that the man she now faced was quite handsome.

"I see. You wish only for a challenge, then?" the huntress was compelled to ask becoming even more intrigued by the mysterious man.

"At least tell me your name!" Taki demanded.

The young man closed his eyes and stood, in his stance, in silence. After a few moments, the mysterious man sighed.

"Hmph. My name...is** Heishiro Mitsurugi**."

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So, what'd you think? Questions, comments, gripes, concerns? Don't worry about hurting my feelings...I never claimed to be a good writer so, HA HAAH!


	3. Snow flower

Disclaimer: Soul Caliber, Soul Edge and Soul Blade is property of Namco/Bandai

Chapter Two: Snow Flower

Tokushima Prefecture.

The ship had arrived at the harbor on schedule. The mid-summer heat hung heavy in the air as the sun blazed down on the harbor workers and pedestrians from high in the early noon sky. After docking, the ships' passengers were called to exit while the crew made preparations for the next group of travelers. Among those exiting was a woman unlike any other. From first glance, it was obvious that she was not native to Japan. She had pale, milky white skin that looked as soft as flower petals. Her long, glossy blonde hair was styled similarly to the geishas except for the loose blonde tresses spilling down her back. In short, this young woman's beauty was more than capable of stealing any man's breathe away.

"This heat..."the woman said as she strained her hazel brown eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness of the sun.

The young foreigner raised her umbrella and walked toward a bustling part of town in hopes of finding someone to help her with an 'unusual' situation. She thought back to days before dire circumstances had forced her to take this journey in search of help. She began to recall when she and her master lived their days in relative peace, something the foreign beauty could not find until her master took her in. As the young woman became lost in thought, she seemed to have not noticed that, from the shadows, she was being watched. Three sets of eyes watched the beautiful girl with as much disdain as lust. Shamelessly, the three shady locals ogled her every movement. The way her multi-colored yukata, decorated with white and fading into purple, clung tightly to her body, accentuating her every curve. The way her hair was tossed about by the summer breeze coming in from the ocean. Indeed, these three men were hunters who had identified their prey for the evening.

"Quite beautiful, isn't she?" the first, seemingly the leader, inquired.

"Yeah...I can just taste her now." said the tallest and more muscular of the three while licking his lips.

The last of them watched the young foreigner in silence. He watched how her hips swayed seductively, as if beckoning to him.

"Maybe we should introduce ourselves?" the leader smirked as his subordinates nodded in agreement.

After finally making it into the city, the beautiful foreigner stopped to survey her new surroundings. The city was surrounded by mountains that stretched up so high into the sky, like a child reaching for her mother. Even though she had never known her parents, the thought of a child reaching for a mother had always brought about certain loneliness. Her master was the only family she'd ever known and, as a child, she was looked upon with much disdain because of her appearance. He was the only one to ever treat her as a person and so, she was fiercely loyal and grateful to him. That is why she must not fail. She has to succeed for her master's sake.

"You must be new here, right?" said a voice from behind her.

The young woman was unfazed by the fact that someone had snuck up on her, turned to face three suspicious looking men.

"Didn't mean to startle you, Miss...?..."

"...Setsuka." she replied simply.

"Well, Ms. Setsuka, perhaps my men and I could be of assistance since you don't seem to be very familiar with this area?" offered the leader of the trio.

Setsuka placed her cheek into her palm and narrowed her eyes at the three men before her. Though true, she didn't know much of the area, she refused to waste time on the scum who'd been watching her since the moment she'd exited the vessel she'd arrived on. The tall muscular man began to move toward the beautiful blonde but stopped in his tracks due to the way she cut her eyes at him. Something about the way she looked at him took away his courage.

"Maybe we should leave this one be?" the muscular man whispered to his leader as he retreated backward, not wanting to anger the woman.

"Don't be ridiculous! She obviously needs assistance and we'll provide it, right?" the boss said, motioning to the youngest of the three to circle around the foreigner.

"I don't have time for this..." Setuska sighed from underneath her umbrella as she was surrounded from all three sides.

The youngest of the trio struck first, charging at full speed toward the foreign girl. In a blur of motion Setsuka's hand shot forth, grabbed the wrist of her assailant and twisted the extremity counter-clockwise, causing the impatient fool to spin and crash into the ground in front of her.

"Rraaaagh!" the man howled as Setsuka applied pressure to his already twisted wrist, instantly breaking it.

The pained howls of the young man soon drew a crowd as people stopped to observe the assault.

"**Foreign bitch!"** the trio's leader boomed as he drew a dagger from its sheath hidden in his dirty green dogi.

"I was wondering when you'd play that card..." Setsuka teased, smiling as if she'd already known about the hidden blade.

"**Shut up!" **the lead thug barked as he dashed toward the blonde beauty with all his might, closing the distance in an instant.

The lookers-on gasped collectively as the foreign girl side stepped the silver arc of the thug's downward slash, then ducked the horizontal attack with the same ease.

"**Araaaaagh! Stand still you bitch!" **the trio's lead man commanded in frustration as he continued to strike at Setsuka, though unsuccessful.

The tallest of the trio watched in awe as the foreign girl made sport of his boss. Her movements were so graceful and she moved with such dexterity that she appeared to be dancing instead of fighting for her life. In truth, the tall man in the dingy white dogi started to realize that his gang was truly outmatched.

"**That's enough, Kota!" **boomed the muscular man, finally, stepping in front of his boss.

"Stand aside, Benkei! I'm going to… teach this foreign **bitch **a lesson she'll… never forget!" huffed the gang's leader, still trying to catch his breath and exhausted from over exerting himself.

"No, Kota. If you continue with this foolish pursuit, she **will** kill you!" Benkei shot back over his shoulder.

"What about what she did to Masamori? She broke his wrist…" hissed Kota, looking back at his fallen subordinate.

"Calm down and take a good long look at her for a second. If you haven't noticed, you're heaving to catch your breath while **she's** barely breaking a sweat!" reasoned the tall muscular man.

Kota had regained enough of his composure to heed his muscular subordinate's advice. He looked intently at his opponent's young beautiful visage. Benkei was right! The foreign woman had been moving as much as he did yet, showed no signs of fatigue. Her gorgeous continence stayed as calm as it had been before the assault began. Whoever this Setsuka was, it was clear that she was as dangerous as any of the three of them…maybe even more so.

"We…we apologize, lady Setsuka! Please forgive our behavior!" Benkai begged as he dropped to his knees.

"Hmm?" the beautiful blonde tilted her head at this request.

"Please, if there is… anything you need to… know about Tokushima, do not hesitate… to ask us!" Masamori implored painfully, following Benkei's lead and clutching his broken wrist.

Setsuka watched the crowd of gawkers slowly disperse as the third of the trio went to his knees, following the lead of the other two. She had thought about asking someone from the crowd about warriors she could hire but had immediately decided against it. The eyes of the audience seemed more interested in seeing her get hurt or killed then helping her. If she was still the fragile girl she once was, she probably would have let them kill her just to stop the prejudice against her. Setsuka was, however, not as weak as she once was therefore she didn't care for the opinion of the Japanese people of her.

"I need to find warriors."


	4. The Man Named Mitsurugi

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Soul Edge, Blade or Caliber.

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The Man Named Mitsurugi

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Her dark eyes fluttered open as the cool night air roused her from unconsciousness. She lay damp and almost naked except for the bandages covering her chest, right leg and arm. It would appear that she'd been laid by a fire after…she couldn't remember for some reason.

"What happened to me…? Why can't I remember?" the young woman pondered to herself.

Suddenly, as if sensing some impending danger, the demon huntress shot up and tried to locate her blades.

"Ngh!" Taki gritted in agony as the wounds she sustained sent fresh waves of pain through her body.

"I didn't think you were **that **foolish." said a rather amused voice from behind her.

The half-naked woman turned to face the owner of the voice only to find his bare back turned to her. The man sat on a large bolder, flat at the top; it looked to be fashioned as seating of some kind. She recognized the scars instantly as the days earlier events began to take shape in her mind. Taki had been dispatched to deal with the so-called "Devil of Bizan," only to find out that the demon was just a man draped in demon hides.

After pushing those thoughts aside, the huntress took stock of her new surroundings. From what she could discern, she was in a cave she believed was the young man's home. It was a filthy little hovel that seemed fit for only a demon. A pile of leaves wrapped in cloth, she assumed, was where the man laid his head at night. Taki had been laid next to a fire pit, complete with a cooking pot, amongst other things of the like.

"Your name was …Heishiro-san, right?" inquired the huntress.

"…"

"I am Taki, of the Fu-Ma clan."

"…"

"What's wrong? Have you no reason to speak outside of battle?" Taki asked impatiently.

Suddenly, the huntress realized that she was almost naked as she blushed and covered herself.

"Yes…and you can relax. I haven't molested you or interfered with you in any way. Well, except for the dressings on your wounds, of course…and it's **just Heishiro."** The young warrior reassured and corrected from over his shoulder.

"Hmph. I've been unconscious for who knows how long! How do I know you haven't had your way with me already?" Taki asked, rather afraid of the answer.

The young swordsman smiled impishly as he stood and turned to Taki. Heishiro, while retaining his impish grin, let the rest of the yukata hanging from his torso fall; revealing the reason she'd have known if he'd violated her.

"Because if I had ravished you, I guarantee you wouldn't have been able to sleep…_or walk for a week._" The arrogant young man declared, muttering the last part.

The young woman's eyes grew wide with awe. Of all the men she had ever seen naked, this man, had to be the most…even her thoughts became jumbled as she continued to shamelessly stare at the samurai's naked body.

"At a loss for words, are we?" Heishiro teased while scooping up his grounded clothing.

"Sh, shut up!" Taki said as she jerked her head to one side, away from the young warrior.

"Food will be done shortly…if you've an appetite." The samurai offered as he slid his yukata over his shoulders and sat by the warm roaring fire, directly across from the demon huntress.

"…Thank you…" the huntress nodded.

The pair sat in silence as the fire popped, snapped and licked playfully at the bottom of the cooking pot, bringing its contents to a boil and wafting a rather interesting aroma around the cave interior. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, just different. It reminded Taki of her trips to her clan's healer, Kyoko. The herbs that created most of the Fu-Ma's healing salves were made by the elderly woman, who had an unfathomable wisdom on the subject matter. The young huntress decided on Kyoko being the first she would visit upon her return to the village.

"Um… Heishiro?" Taki started, speaking softly.

"What now?" said the samurai, with a slight hint of irritation?

"I was just wondering…When we fought earlier, what happened? I can't seem to recall much of it."

"Seriously, you don't remember being attacked?" the warrior inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Attacked?" the huntress questioned with an alarmed expression.

Mitsurugi stared intently into the eyes of the bewildered woman. Had she truly forgotten about the powerful, white demon attacking them earlier? How could she forget? It stood towering over them and looked to weigh well over 200 lbs. Its eyes appeared catatonic, and the very earth shook with every step it took. Although, if she could not remember, it was probably due to the blow to the head she took during the skirmish. At this point, it didn't matter. Whatever it was, the samurai swore to find it, defeat it and send it to its grave. Setting the thoughts of that monster aside, Heishiro closed his eyes and sighed.

"Let's just forget about that, for now. You should eat and rest."

"I suppose…for now." Taki conceded, slightly tilting her head to one side.

Silence fell upon the pair once more as they ate the strange smelling food while the fire continued to burn, making shadows dance around the cave walls. The huntress watched as the samurai finished his meal and immediately set to work sharpening his blade. So much about him was uncertain. When he first shed his demon skin, he seemed so wild and animalistic, without a shred of humanity. But now, when she'd awakened in this cave next to a warm fire, her wounds bandaged and cared for, the man she now knew as Heishiro Mitsurugi, seemed a more decent and honorable man than she had given him credit for. And much more than that, she found herself more intrigued by him with each passing moment.

Once Heishiro had finished his work, he focused his gaze upon his guest. Never before had he battled someone so strong, let alone a woman. The huntress returned the young man's gaze only to break away as quickly as humanly possible, her face tinged with red. Heishiro smirked at this as he made his way over to the young woman, taking a seat next to her.

"You're pretty strong. Are there others in your clan as strong as yourself?" he inquired to the slayer of demons.

Taki was truly astonished. She'd have never thought to receive such a compliment, if any, from the wild looking samurai. Indeed, this young man was becoming even more intriguing by the minute.

"Um, (Ahem)…Well, in terms of strength, I would be the second strongest." The girl said.

"I see. And who would be the strongest?" Mitsurugi asked, his interest becoming more visible.

"I suppose that title would belong to Master Toki, our clan leader." Taki continued with a hint of disgust.

Mitsurugi noticed the change in the huntress when she spoke of her clan's leader. From what he could discern from her tone, Taki only followed Toki, not because she wanted to, but because he was in a position of leadership. Maybe, if they became close enough, she would one day share the reason with him.

"Master Toki, eh?" said the samurai as he stroked his chin.

After a few moments of silence, Heishiro turned to the demon slayer with barely contained excitement.

"Do you think he would be willing to duel me?" he said with a boyish smile.

The way the young man smiled made Taki's heart beat against the cavity of her chest. He was a truly attractive man and, if this were a different time, she wouldn't have minded getting to know him better. The thought of being with him made her blush profusely.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind sparring with you." She finally said, looking off to the side so the arrogant samurai didn't see her full reaction to his smile.

"Why am I acting like some love sick fool?" the huntress thought to herself.

Suddenly, Heishiro jumped to his feet.

"Then, it's decided!" the young man proclaimed with a boyish grin.

Taki, confused beyond reasoning, turns toward the ginning young man with a rather bewildered look on her face.

"W,what's decided?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head slightly to one side.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to escort you back to your village!" the samurai exclaimed, turning to the huntress to show his enthusiasm.

"W,what…?"

* * *

Meanwhile, on a road on the outskirts of the Tokushima Prefecture…

* * *

The sun had long since set. The only light that could be seen within the endless darkness was from a fire, surrounded by four travelers, who had set up camp for the night. All of the weary travelers had fallen fast asleep, all but one. A young and beautiful woman sat silently by the fire, the light accentuating her gorgeous countenance. She watched the fire dance with sadness in her eyes. For this particular girl, the fire was a reminder of her greatest failure.

"Master…" the blond woman whispered as a single tear slid down her cheek.

"Lady Setsuka?" a tall muscular man said, concern apparent in his voice.

The foreign girl wiped away her tears with the back of her sleeve as the tall man made his way to the light and warmth of the fire. Taking the spot across from the girl, he plopped down onto his backside and sighed.

"If you're worried that one of us will attack you when you sleep, don't. We are well aware that you are capable of killing all of us, with ease." Benkei said with a yawn.

Setsuka remained silent, seemingly entranced by the fire's light.

"Suit yourself. We should make it to Fu-Ma no Sato before sunset tomorrow." Yawned the tall man again as he stood up and walked back to his sleeping area.

"Whatever happened to you, lady Setsuka, don't let it consume you…"

Within minutes, Benkei had fallen fast asleep again, leaving Setsuka to be alone with her thoughts once more. Finally able to pull her eyes from the fire, the young woman slowly turned to the tall man's direction.

"You could never understand…Without my master, I have nothing…" the blonde beauty whispered to herself like a secret.

And as she returned her gaze to the fire, Setsuka couldn't help but wonder if her beloved master was even still alive and, if so, was it at all possible to save him?

* * *

Another chapter down...a lot more to go...sonuvabitch...


	5. Bloodstained Blade:Demon VS Devil

Disclaimer: Soul Calibur, Soul Edge and Soul Blade are property of Namco/Bandai.

* * *

Blood Stained Blade: Demon VS. Devil

* * *

Somewhere in an undisclosed location, Japan...

* * *

He was alone. It was dark, and except for the sound of water dripping from the ceiling and beating against the cold wet floor, it was quiet. The elderly man had forgotten how long he'd been a prisoner, probably due to the endless torture he had endured. He'd been beaten and nearly starved for what seemed like months. His captors would beat him, without mercy, and give him just enough food to keep him alive per the orders of someone called…the elderly prisoner could not recall. It didn't matter, however. The beatings would soon commence once again and he would think of the only light in his life during this dark time. The one memory that kept him going…Of a girl, who'd grown up to be a beautiful and dignified young woman right before his eyes.

"…Setsuka…" the old man said to himself as he smiled weakly at the thought of seeing his precious pupil again.

_Tmp. Tmp. ._No sooner than he'd spoken, the footsteps could be heard drawing closer. The old master sighed as he prepared his mind for what was to come. _Tmp. Tmp. Tmp. Tmp._ The footsteps stop at the foot of the door, which opened slowly. The old man closed his eyes and sighed at the sight of his tormentor. It was a tall, large busted woman with short, white hair. A bluish-purple leotard covered her torso and arms, with patches of the fabric removed to expose her cleavage and parts of her abdomen. Similar leggings covered her legs midway below her thighs, connected to the leotard by garters with golden metal bands at their peak.

"Let's get this over with…" the old man muttered, lifting the heavy chains that bound him as he stood.

"Indeed." The busty woman complied as a sadistic grin spread across her face.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a cave within Mt. Bizan…

* * *

"Y,you're going to do **what?!**" the young huntress exclaimed at the suggestion the samurai had made.

"Well, you can barely stand so, why not?" Heishiro said matter-of-factually, smiling all the while.

Taki stared into the young man's eyes for a brief moment but then quickly turned away, her face beat red. Of all the things he could have offered, **this** had to be the most embarrassing.

"I'm a warrior and a member of the Fu-Ma clan, I will **not **be carried around like a…"

"…Woman?" the wild looking warrior interrupted, slightly tilting his head to one side.

The huntress looked away again as she knew her reaction to Mitsurugi's expression would be one of flustered embarrassment.

"…I was going to say…**H,hey!**" Taki protested as Heishiro scooped her up, with little effort, and made his way toward the entrance of the cave.

"Don't worry, as long as I'm your escort, you will reach your village unharmed."

The young woman's face became crimson red once more as she quickly turned away from the samurai. No man had ever dared to touch her, yet, this young man planned to carry her all the way back to her village. Fu-Ma no Sato was about half a day away and the clan was getting ready to move again, and since she couldn't walk due to her injuries, Taki realized that she'd never make it back in time. Her only choice was to let the samurai carry her back home.

"…W,we're about a half day away from my village…so…we should be going should you want to be there before sunset." The huntress said as she settled nervously into Mitsurugi's arms.

"You're lighter than you look…" the warrior said to the Taki as the pair began the long trek back to Fu-Ma no Sato.

The flustered girl couldn't bring herself to look at Heishiro. Being in his arms like this…she'd never stop blushing, and she knew it. Taki just could not figure it out. Why was she so attracted to him? Mitsurugi was handsome, sure enough, but it was something else there. Maybe it was his dedication to the sword? The young man had explained to her, the night before, his motive for pretending to be a demon was to attract only the strongest of warriors to test his skills against. It was wrong and dangerous, but she found his dedication admirable. The huntress stole a peak at the samurai from the corner of her eye as they moved forward through the dense forest. His eyes were so focused, intense. Taki had never seen such eyes before.

_Ba-bump!_

_Ba-bump!_

_Ba bump!_

_Ba-bump!_

The girl's heart felt as if it would burst from her chest as she silently gazed upon the rugged visage of Heishiro. If only they'd met at a different time, a different place, maybe they could have been together? It didn't matter, however. Taki had decided the night before, she'd say nothing of this to anyone and maybe, just maybe, these feelings would eventually go away.

* * *

Tokushima outskirts…

* * *

Morning had come and the group of travelers began making their way through a heavily forested area as grey clouds blanketed the vast sky. It seemed rain was on the horizon and, as much as either of them hated to admit it, the only one equipped to handle it was the beautiful young woman among them. As the group moved onward, Benkei couldn't help but look back at the girl, silently following with a solemn look on her face. Whatever was eating at her, the tall muscular man wanted to help if he could.

"Lady Setsuka?" Benkei whispered as he slowed his pace until he and the woman were side by side.

"What is it?" the sad girl answered without looking up, angst apparent in her tone.

"I…I wanted you to know, in case the Fu-Ma clan has already moved on, that my blade is at your service."

Setsuka stopped in her tracks as the other two men continued forward. Benkei turned and smiled.

"Shocked?" the tall warrior inquired, maintaining his smile.

"What about the others? How would they feel about you abandoning them?" the foreign girl asked, shocked to hear the muscular thug offer his blade to her cause.

"We discussed it after you finally fell asleep. I convinced Kota there might be great treasure if we accompany you on your quest." Benkei explained, smiling still.

Setsuka peered at the tall Japanese man. Of the trio she traveled with, Benkei seemed to be the most decent as he was the first to even speak to her. The night before, the muscled man watched over her to make sure the others wouldn't try anything, though, if they had, the other two would not have been traveling with them today on the account of being dead. Finally, the blond beauty smiled.

"That's better." Benkei nodded at the young woman's mood.

Though she did not know why the older man would go out of his way to help her, Setsuka was greatful.

"I should warn you Mr. Benkei, it will be dangerous. There are things in this world far more terrible than armed thugs or even demons." The woman said as she resumed movement toward the others.

"Not to worry, young one. I've seen more than most would believe." The tall man reassured, walking alongside the foreign girl.

Setsuka looked up toward the ever darkening sky as the first drops of rain fell upon her and streamed down her beautiful face. She thought back to the terrible day her master was taken and how their home caught fire. It had rained shortly after, and she stood wet and covered in blood, staring at the remains of what had been her home. The only home she had ever known. Benkei watched helplessly as the young woman fell back into her silent despair, her beautiful smile fading. Even if she was a foreigner, the tall man wanted to help her anyway he could, regardless of what his friends thought of him. Why was he following Kota and Masamori in the first place?! Benkei had decided, even if the Fu-Ma clan had refused to help, that he would become her vanguard and bend his blade to the young woman's will.

"Hey! Hurry up, you two!" Kota exclaimed as he and the youngest of the group turned to face the pair, breaking the girl from her thoughts.

"S,shut up! We're coming!" Benkei boomed with an irritated tone.

Setsuka looked up at the muscular man, who in turn, looked down at her and things considered, the tall man was more tolerant than anyone else she'd met. He was truly a decent man.

"How'd he ever get mixed up with the other two?" Setsuka thought to herself, placing her hand to her cheek in thought.

"**Rrrraaaaaaaagggghrrr!**

The moment of levity, however brief, was brought to an abrupt end by the sound of an inhuman howl. All members of the small group stood stalk still in fear of invoking the wrath of whatever **it **was.

"Wh, what the hell was **that**?!" Kota said, breaking the silence after the blood curdling roar.

The travelers looked about their surroundings, trying to find what had made that horrible sound. Unfortunately, Masamori was the first to spot the enormous, hideous white creature…and the first victim. The demon lunged forward and impaled the youngest of the group with its 4 foot claw protruding from its stump of a hand.

"_No…_** Masa!" **Kota cried as he drew his hidden blade from its sheathe.

"_Ma…sa…" _the tall, muscular man spoke quietly before closing his eyes.

Soon afterwards, Benkei lunged forward in rage as the monster tossed the corpse that was once Masamori aside. Kota and Benkei attacked the demon simultaneously. Both slashing, ripping and tearing with all of their combined might, seemingly gaining the upper hand on the white creature. However, with a mighty swipe of its claw, both men were sent careening through the air and crashing into nearby trees, slumping unconsciously to the cold wet ground. The great white monster turned its attention to the only standing member of the group. Setsuka gazed defiantly at the demon as it lunged for her with inhuman speed. Despite the current situation, a small smile crept across her red lips as she easily dodged the creature's attack.

"Big and idiotic…how unfortunate for you, demon." The woman said as she flipped her umbrella, gripped the handle with her free hand, and slashed the creature's left clawed arm off with a silver ark too fast to see.

"**Raawr?!"** the demon seemed surprised by the attack.

Before the creature had any time to counterattack, the blond foreigner pressed her momentary advantage. Setsuka moved with great speed and attacked in rapid succession, sending many silver arcs into and across the demon's chest. Her blade moved with such speed, the demon had yet to realize the woman's weapon was, in fact, a blade. As the blond woman moved in for a killing strike, the creature swiped at her with its other claw, trying to employ the tactics used on her companions earlier, however, as the 4 foot claw was about to make contact, the woman disappeared.

"**?!" **the demon seemed confused as it was sure it's attack would connect.

The white monster looked for the woman as it finally got to its feet. Its white, milky eyes searched fervently for any sign of its beautiful prey. Suddenly, as if it had been warned internally, it looked above. The soaking wet girl came down on the creature with great force, slashing through the demon's throat horizontally with a silver arc and landing behind it. A fountain of blood spouted from where the monster's head once was as Setsuka was covered in the aftermath. Not even waiting for the demon's body to hit the ground, the woman rushed to the side of her traveling companions.

"**Benkei! Kota!" **Setsuka called to them, worry gripping her heart.

When she reached the two surviving members of the trio, she stopped dead in her tracks. Both men had recovered and were staring at the woman with awe, mouths agape.

"Are the two of you okay?" the young woman inquired with a bit of relief as she moved her lose strands of hair behind her ear.

"Setsuka…that was…" Benkei managed to say before his voice was lost to amazement.

"I…I can't believe what I just…How did you…?" Kota stammered as he tried to make sense of what he just witnessed.

The two men knew the foreigner was strong, they just didn't think she'd be **this** strong. It was incredible! They witnessed a young and beautiful woman defeat a greater demon, single handedly.

"That was very impressive, Lady Setsuka." The tall muscular man complimented, finally regaining his composure.

"Th, thank you…" the girl replied with a slight blush.

Benkei noticed the woman's reaction and chuckled a little.

"Come on, you two. We need to grab Masa…and…"

"Kota, what are…y…?" Benkei's eyes widened with disbelief and terror.

The once dead, headless demon had risen to its feet and lunged silently toward the blood soaked blond. Benkei quickly regained his composure and pushed Setsuka out of the way, only to be impaled by a horn that had grown from where the head had been!

"_Ngn!" _the tall man gritted his teeth as the creature swung its horn, tossing him aside.

"**Benkeeeei!" **Kota cried out as the white demon kicked him, sending the leader of the trio sailing through the air and smashing his skull against a tree.

"**Kota!...**_B..Benkei…?"_the girl said as the demon turned to face her.

Setuska's eyes grew wide as a mouth, baring fangs, tore open from the demons abdomen.

"**And now for you, little bitch!" **the demon said as it opened its maw to engulf the woman whole.

Setsuka snapped her eyes closed and awaited the gruesome death that awaited her.

"_Master_…Forgive me." She whispered as she waited for her life to be violently taken from her.

However, the end never came. The foreign girl slowly opened her hazel brown eyes and, much to her relief, a man stood in the demon's path. Whoever this man was, the demon made no hostile movement toward him.

"_Heh. _Found you…" the man said in a rugged baritone.

Setsuka gazed at the young man's back. His hair was dark, tied in a ponytail and rather unkempt from what she could see. His blue dogi was somewhat worn and dirty and had a tiger emblazoned on the back. He had a sword, but it was sheathed as he tapped his shoulder with it repeatedly. This man was a samurai no doubt.

"Be careful, samurai! This creature is like nothing I have ever faced!" Setsuka warned as she slowly made her way to her feet.

The young man slightly turned his head toward the blond woman.

"Do not worry for me…" the rugged man started as the demon charged forward, mouth opened wide to devour his new prey.

"…He'll be in hell before me."

The foreign woman watched with awe as the rugged samurai slammed his sword, still sheathed, into the ground and caught the demon's toothy maw with his hands.

"I told you I'd get you for interrupting my fight with the demon slayer…" the samurai said with a grin that sent fear through the demon.

Suddenly, the white demon's tongue flew from its mouth and wrapped around the samurai's neck! Setsuka, believing she needed to act, picked up her umbrella which had been knocked from her hand earlier, and rushed forward to assist the samurai.

"**Stay back!**" a strong but feminine voice boomed from behind the foreign woman.

Setsuka stopped in her tracks and turned to see a young, injured Japanese woman sitting helplessly against a tree. She was clothed in a skin tight, royal blue body suit adorned with demonic looking armor pieces on her shoulders, hands and shins.

"Who are you?" the blond woman inquired as she cautiously made her way to the injured woman.

"My name is Taki and _that…_" she motioned to the rugged samurai as he kicked his blade up from its sheathe, caught it and sliced through the demon's tongue with a silver arc,"…is Heishiro."

"_Heishiro?"_ the foreign woman repeated as she slightly turned her head to see the long haired man dodge several of the creature's attacks with ease.

The rain poured steadily as Mitsurugi back stepped to put distance between himself and his target. Entering his battle stance, the young samurai smiled.

"I think it's about time to end this, demon!" Mitsurugi said as he dashed forward with unbelievable speed.

"**Stupid human!"** the monstrous creature roared as he lunged toward the samurai with all the speed it could muster.

The two women watched in awe as the samurai and the demon clashed. Heishiro's blade moved with great precision as a whirlwind of silver arcs slashed and hacked at the putrid, white flesh of the demon.

"Oh, my…" Setsuka whispered as her jaw dropped at the rugged samurai's display of skill.

The bloodied demon, after narrowly dodging another of the samurai's attacks, aggressively took to the air. At the zenith of its jump, the monster looked to the ground only to discover that the young man had vanished!

"**What? Where did that bastard go?!" **the demon growled.

And like before, the creature's internal alarm began to go off as it turned to glance upward…And there he was. The samurai had leapt after the greater fiend, silently passed him and came down with a vertical silver arc that split the creature, as well as the land beneath it, in half.

"**C, curse…you****...**" the creature managed to say before its two halves fell to the earth.

"_Amazing…" _Setsuka spoke as the wild looking samurai landed with a thud between what remained of the fearsome greater demon.

Heishiro made his way over to the two soaking wet women.

"Are you alright, Ms?" inquired the young man to the foreign girl as he bent down to scoop the injured kunoichi into his arms.

"H,Heishiro!" the Japanese woman blushed and protested as she was lifted from the wet patch of earth she'd been occupying.

"What is it? I told you I would carry you back to your village." Heishiro shot back, slightly irritated at how the huntress tried to squirm her way out of his arms.

"Your village?" the blond woman interrupted as she took a step toward the odd pair.

"Are you from Fu-Ma no Sato?"

**Taki** immediately stopped struggling with the samurai and turned her gaze toward the foreigner. The eyes of the blond woman had been filled with despair up until this very moment. What business could a foreigner have with the Fu-Ma clan? Come to think of it, except for her hair and complexion, the foreign woman had the look of a traditional Japanese girl. Had she lived her whole life here in Japan?

"What is your name?" the demon huntress inquired to the blond beauty.

"I am Setsuka." The foreign woman bowed.

"…And you are?"

"Taki…of the Fu-Ma clan." She replied with a slight bow of her head.

Setsuka was starting to feel hopeful as the duo peered at her. The two warriors didn't seem bothered by the fact that she was foreign; otherwise she'd have been shooed away like some sort of bothersome insect.

"My village is not far now…" the demon huntress started as she peered up at the grey and rainy sky,"…but we should probably find shelter until the rain lets up."

"If you say so…" Heishiro nodded in agreement.

Setsuka opened her umbrella and handed it to the injured woman.

"You need it more than I do." She said with a smile.

The huntress didn't expect such kindness from a stranger, especially from a foreigner.

"Thank you, Setsuka-san." Taki bowed in gratitude as the samurai began surveyed the area, trying to locate shelter of some kind.

The three warriors made their way further along the wet road, the blond woman following slightly behind the samurai.

"Are they…lovers?" Setsuka thought to herself as she silently watched the pair.

Though she had just met them, the blond beauty had to admit to being a little envious. Heishiro was handsome and strong, though a bit vain but his heart was in the right place. After all, he'd carried the injured kunoichi from God knows where, back to her village. He even protected her from the greater fiend even though she was a foreigner.

"Uh…Miss. Setsuka?" came the samurai's rugged baritone, breaking the foreign woman from her thoughts.

"Y,yes?" Setsuka stammered with a slight blush as the rain poured steadily down from the grey sky.

"We found shelter. Come." Heishiro said whilst motioning toward a small abandoned shack well hidden by the forest.

* * *

Inside the small, abandoned shack…

* * *

_Achoo!_

"It would appear that our demon huntress caught a cold." Heishiro spoke as he looked around for something to burn knowing full well everything outside of the hut was soaking wet.

"It would appear so…"nodded the blond woman who sat next to the huntress, wrapping her arms around her to help keep her warm.

"S, stop! What the hell are you doing, Setsuka!" protested Taki as she struggled to free herself from the blond woman's embrace.

"You're soaking wet and you need to keep warm! Stop struggling!" Setsuka argued, trying to reason with the young konoichi.

Heishiro glanced over his shoulder at the two women as they wrestled and bickered with one another. The samurai had forgotten the last time he'd been in the company of another human being. The bickering turned playful as the two women began to laugh together. A small smile played across the hardened samurai's face as he watched the pair in silence. The smile didn't come from the excitement from battle, it was genuine. It was…warm. It had been years since Heishiro smiled like this.

"I'll have to go outside to find some fire wood. With luck, I might find some that hasn't been ruined by the rain." The young man said as he stood up and walked to the entrance of the hut.

"Heishiro…" Taki started.

"You'll look after her, won't you, Miss. Setsuka?" the samurai interupted, nodding at the blond woman who nodded in return.

"I will."

Heishiro smiled at the women and exited the small wooden hut.

Silence had fell upon the woman as the rain was heard beating against the roof of their shelter. Taki's eyes wandered around the darkness of the hut's interior as she and the demon huntress sat in the seemingly, thick darkness.

"You're lucky, you know." The blond woman's words broke the silence, at last.

"Lucky? Why do you say that?" the huntress inquired, slightly confused.

"Heishiro. You two are together, right?" Setsuka's curiosity became apparent as she turned toward the dark haired woman.

"Y, you think that Heishiro and I…are…?" Taki couldn't even finish her sentence as she blushed profusely.

The foreign beauty couldn't quite see Taki's reaction due to it being dark but she could tell, the huntress had conflicting feelings for the samurai in question.

"Well, aren't you?" Setsuka inquired directly.

"I'm afraid…you have the wrong idea about us. We've only just met." Taki replied solemnly.

"…I see."

The two women huddled closer together as they silently waited for the samurai to return. Setsuka's thoughts had returned to her traveling companions and how Benkei sacrificed himself for her. Why did he do it? To most of the Japanese people, she was nothing more than a filthy foreigner. So, why did Benkei die for her? These thoughts seemed to amplify the silent darkness as it threatened to swallow the two young women. Suddenly, the straw entrance to the hut was flung open, which startled the woman, and light filtered into the hut, piercing the darkness.

"Hey! The rain is starting to let up and the village is closer than I thought!" boomed a rugged voice as its owner moved excitedly to the injured huntress.

"Heishiro? That was quick." Taki said, allowing herself to be scooped up by the rugged samurai.

"Is the village _that_ close, Heishiro?" Setsuka inquired with renewed determination.

"It is. Come on!" said Heishiro, carrying the huntress out of the dark, dank hut and into the lightly raining forest.

As the three warriors silently made their way to the village of Fu-Ma no Sato, Setsuka had made up her mind. Even if the clan of hunters didn't want to help her, she knew someone who would. His name was Heishiro Mitsurugi.


	6. Smile

Disclaimer: Soul Edge, Soul Blade and Soul Calibur are all property of Namco/Bandai. I do not own anything.

* * *

Smiles and Tears

* * *

Fu-Ma no Sato

* * *

The rain had finally let up as what was left of the day became night. A chilled wind blew playfully through the village causing shrubbery and the loose straw roofs of the hamlet's housing to slightly rattle. The trio had long since entered the village and was allowed time to rest from their long travels. Taki, the demon huntress, was taken to the Fu-Ma clan healer to assess the injuries she'd sustained during her mission, leaving Heishiro and the beautiful foreign girl alone while they awaited the arrival of the clan's leader.

"I wonder how long they'll keep us waiting…" Setsuka muttered as she sat by the roaring fire situated in the middle of the pair's current dwellings.

"Not too long, I hope. I have business with the clan leader!" the young samurai spoke with barely contained excitement.

The beautiful foreigner's eyes downcast as her thoughts returned to the horrific events that took place just hours ago. She reflected on how Benkei gave his life to save hers. Though his intentions were less than pure when they'd first met, Setsuka had grown to respect the most honorable of the three men. What the blond woman remembered most were his kind eyes. A tear ran down the foreign girl's cheek as she recalled the tall man's sacrifice.

"Benkei…" Setsuka whispered, wiping her sorrowful tears away with the sleeve of her kimono, but they wouldn't stop falling and she was tired of fighting them.

"Hm?" Mitsurugi turned to see the young woman softly weeping into her hands.

The hut was thick with silence as the samurai's dark eyes gazed sadly at the weeping beauty.

"_Should I say something?" _the young warrior thought to himself, wanting to comfort the woman but not knowing what to say.

Heishiro didn't have much experience with woman since he'd lived in the mountains after…

"_Okay…"_ the rugged samurai sighed and walked casually to the fire pit where Setsuka was, and seated himself next to her.

"You were…thinking of your companions, yes?" Mitsurugi spoke as he laid a consoling hand on the blond woman's shoulder.

Setsuka looked up; her eyes were a bit red and puffy from her crying. The sympathetic warrior wiped her tears away and smiled.

"My mother once said, "We should not mourn the ones we've lost, but treasure instead the bonds we've found."

The foreign woman gave the rugged samurai's words some thought, and after a moment of silence, looked away from him.

"I hadn't known him for that long…but Benkei gave his life for me."

"I see. This Benkei must have believed your cause to be worth protecting then, Ms. Setsuka." Heishiro comforted, smiling still.

"My…cause…?" Setsuka repeated as her hazel eyes met the dark gaze of the samurai.

"Yep. So, it's up to you to make sure his death was not in vain."

The woman's eyes widened somewhat as her companions words echoed back to her.

"_I…I wanted you to know, in case the Fu-Ma clan moved on, that my blade is at your service."_

"Benkei…" Setsuka spoke softly; a small and beautiful smile accompanied her words as more tears ran down her cheek.

"Uh-Ms. Setsuka! I-I didn't mean to make you cry again! I was trying to help! Honest!" Mitsurugi stammered, completely misinterpreting the foreign girl's tears.

"Thank you…Heishiro." The blond woman said, turning to the samurai to show him that he indeed helped.

Mitsurugi nodded and smiled. "Think nothing of it, Ms. Setsuka."

The blond girl wiped her tears away and returned her gaze to the warm light of the ever dancing fire.

"Please, just Setsuka."

* * *

Meanwhile, within Healer Kyoko's hut…

* * *

"So, the Devil of Bizan was just a boy draped in demon hides, how amusing." The elderly woman said as she placed a cloth dipped in medicinal herbs onto the deep cut on Taki's inner thigh, pressing lightly on it.

"Yes. He really surprised me when he'd cast the demon hides aside." The young huntress said as she recalled seeing the young warrior's eyes for the first time, her cheeks tinged with red.

Kyoko smiled a bit as she realized what was going on, removing the cloth and placing another batch of the healing herbs onto the wound, forcing a small hiss from the younger woman. "Don't be a baby, Taki."

"Y-yes, master Kyoko." The huntress hissed as the clan leader entered the hut, making his way over to the two women.

"So, was it the young man that did this to you or perhaps the foreigner?" Toki accused, crossing his arms and gazing down at the young, injured kunoichi.

"No Master, but he **did** kill the demon responsible for my injuries. Both Heishiro and Setsuka have shown great skill." replied Taki, leaping to the defense of her new allies.

"So it's… Heishiro and Setsuka, is it?" the Fu-Ma clan leader spat, masking the rage he felt for Taki bringing outsiders to the village.

The young huntress glared at the old man as she suddenly remembered the reason she hated Toki.

"Kyoko…leave us." The clan leader commanded, his lips curling into a devious smile.

"B-but…Taki's injuries must be treated, Master! I can't just…!"

"**Now!**" the old man interrupted with booming authority.

Kyoko looked past Toki and to the young huntress with apologetic eyes. Both women knew what was coming and both women knew they were powerless to stop it. Taki nodded, grateful to the old woman for trying.

"_As you command, master."_ The healer conceded with a bow then exited the hut, leaving the poor injured kunoichi to fend for herself.

As soon as the Kyoko left, Toki's hand shot forward and latched onto Taki's neck, his grip tightening slightly. The huntress grasped his wrist with both hands as she struggled for air.

"When will you learn, Taki…" the old ninja licked his lips as his free hand cupped the young woman's breast, kneading the soft mound of flesh as roughly as he could manage.

"You are **mine!** And nothing…" Taki gritted her teeth as the Fu-Ma clan leader squeezed her flesh with what felt like all his might. "**…Nothing** will change that!"

A tear rolled down the young woman's cheek as the lecherous old man latched his lips onto hers; his slimy tongue swam into her mouth and moved around like an eel. After a while, Toki broke the kiss and grinned devilishly as he tore the fabric between Taki's legs, exposing her bare womanhood.

"_Please, no…" _the young woman implored, her voice which was usually strong and confident, sounded so small and powerless as Toki slithered to the opening, then looked up and gave the injured kunoichi a cold half-smile.

"You may be the finest warrior our clan has ever produced, but you are still just a woman. And you are **mine**."

Tears continued to roll down Taki's cheek as the Fu-Ma clan leader began violate her. The young woman, though revolted by the old man's very touch, could not stop her body from reacting to this contact. Taki closed her eyes as tightly as she could manage and began to imagine someone else with her. The demon huntress moaned aloud as the assault continued and her thoughts roamed to the young man she'd met earlier. His powerful frame on top of her, his strong hands exploring every inch of her body, his dark, focused eyes gazing lovingly into hers…

"_Heishiro…" she whispered, _almost inaudibly, giving a name to the face she imagined, a small smile gracing her face.

* * *

A disclosed location, Japan…

* * *

After another day of unspeakable torture, the elderly captive was thrown into his cell and clapped in chains once more as his tormentor glared down at him, her full lips curled into a twisted smile.

"While I'd love to make you squirm a bit more, my father would have words with you." The busty, scantily-clad woman spat as she licked her lips at the bruised and bloodied old man.

"Enough, Ivy." a raspy voice commanded from behind the silver haired woman.

Ivy turned to the owner of the voice and dipped her head slightly in greeting.

"Father, I think he's almost ready."

The lightly armored figure snatched the old man by the chains on his wrist, lifting him into the air with very little effort. Whoever this man was, his strength was undeniable, which shattered the elderly prisoner's notions of escape.

"Listen carefully, old man." the figure started as the prisoner stared defiantly into his foreboding eyes, "In order for our master to be reborn into this world, **you** must be broken."

"Physically." the younger man grabbed the prisoner's wrist and twisted it, effectively breaking it.

"**Gyaaaaaaaagh!**" the elderly prisoner howled as he helplessly dangled from the chains held by the mysterious armor-clad figure.

"Mentally." The powerful man added as he forcefully tossed his captive into the cell wall with a sickening thud, before collapsing to the floor with ragged, shallow breaths.

"And spiritually. That is why you are kept in the dark in-between our…sessions." Ivy added as she turned the bloodied master over on his back and straddled him.

"Well, old man, it seems my daughter has taken a liking to you. I wouldn't necessarily call that a good thing however."

The woman licked at the blood that slowly trickled down the old man's face deriving a sick, twisted sort of pleasure from his suffering.

"_G-get…get…off of m-me…you…_**harlet!**" the old Japanese man spat in a desperate act of defiance.

The old master weakly struggled beneath the woman as she laughed at his feeble attempt to free himself.

"Try as hard as you like, old man. Until we get what we want, you are our prisoner. Ivy…" the powerful man said as he turned to leave the cell.

"He's all yours."

"Thank you, father." The busty woman replied as the other leader of the captors made his exit.

"Now then, it appears we will have more time to play…"

The white haired woman's words sent a surge of fear through the prisoner as he stared up at her, eyes filled with terror. The man she called father had revealed that the prisoner must be broken completely for their master to be reborn into the world. What did he mean by that? The elderly prisoner would have to harden his resolve to prevent something that could potentially be catastrophic if the situation hinged on how strong his soul was. But for **her**, he would remain strong. For his precious snow flower, the old man smiled, weakly.

"_Setsuka…"_ the name slipped from his lips like a whisper, barely audible to anyone but himself.

* * *

Alrighty then! Sorry about the long wait! I came down with a case of writers block…At any rate, R/R and all that good stuff!


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